Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) - San Diego County, CA - Overview Summary Duties The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of medical equipment. Biomedical support requires the application of engineering and mechanical concepts and methodology to provide lifecycle management and technical support of diagnostic, therapeutic devices, monitoring, and other equipment utilized in the practice of medicine, and to improve clinical care provided by doctors, nurses, and other clinical staff throughout VA. Medical equipment supported by the BESS is maintained to the standards required by multiple accrediting agencies (e.g. Food and Drug Administration, The Joint Commission, the National Fire Protection Association, etc.). Lifecycle management encompasses the following: technology assessment including defining requirements and analyzing alternatives with clinical users; technology acquisition including technical evaluation and best value determination of proposed equipment and systems; technology implementation including site preparation, incoming inspections, device/system integration, network device security implementation and clinical/technical training; technology sustainment including regular and unscheduled maintenance, upgrades and enhancements, continuing education; end of useful life tasks including decommissioning, data sanitization, and technical evaluation for condition prior to disposal; and strategic planning for end of life replacement in conjunction with clinical services. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week. Telework: Not available in this position. Functional Statement Title/#: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist/#0000000 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. - $56,084 $88,215 Job Details Application Open Date 10/11/2018 Application Close Date 10/26/2018 Organization Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Who May Apply 15514-United States Citizens Status Full-Time - This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the - site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an - . - Qualifications - The following are the requirements for appointment as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). These requirements apply to all BESSs in the GS-1601 series. The work requires the application of engineering and mechanical concepts and methodology to provide life-cycle management and technical support of diagnostic, therapeutic devices, monitoring, and other equipment applicable in the practice of medicine, and to improve health service delivery systems for communities and within individual VA facilities (medical centers, outpatient clinics, domiciliaries). BESS work requires, in addition to knowledge and skill in engineering disciplines, a background in physiology and anatomy, and a practical facility in specialized subject matter areas such as computer applications, electronics, or mathematics. Basic Requirements: - United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. - Proficient in spoken and written English. [To be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, serving in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA, applicants must be proficient in written and spoken English.] - Successful completion of one of the following basic experience and/or education requirements: [a] Associate's degree in Biomedical Electronics Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology or Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related technical field such as Electronic Technology or Information Technology and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology Specialist; OR, [b] Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related field such as Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) or Information Technology; OR, [c] Completion of a military training program in biomedical equipment and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist or Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer or Information Technology Specialist.. (Copy of official/unofficial transcripts required, see "Required Documents" section.) Preferred Experience: Knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, medical systems lifecycle management, relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies (TJC, NFPA, FDA, etc.); Knowledge of computers and networking, including standard network hardware, software, standard topologies, media type, and popular protocols to understand the installation and configuration of various peripherals. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Requirements for GS-09: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one (1) year of experience comparable to at least the GS-7 level in the Federal service is required. In addition, candidates at this level must fully demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) in their resume and the selectee will be required to provide a narrative response to each: [1] Knowledge of electronics and electricity including analog and intermediate digital electronics to test, calibrate, maintain, and repair biomedical equipment and moderately complex biomedical instrumentation systems; [2] Skill in the setup and use of standard and advanced level test equipment to perform precise and detailed analysis of the operating and design characteristics of equipment and initiate repairs, reconfiguration, or redesign of moderately complex medical systems; [3] Skill in applying theory, concepts, techniques, design characteristics, operation, and functions to assist and support installation, operation, test, maintenance, repair, design, and modification for a comprehensive range of medical equipment connected to networks or other operating systems; [4] Ability to evaluate practical and technical information from manufacturers, contract specifications, manuals, and historical data in order to perform analysis required to make effective recommendations concerning operation, maintenance, and repair of medical equipment; [5] Ability to perform testing and troubleshooting of medical devices involving their interfaces and connections to other medical devices, clinical systems, or information systems either directly or through the hospitals hardwired and wireless networks; [6] Ability to use application software and hardware as it relates to the operation and diagnostics of medical equipment; and [7] Knowledge of computer equipment with a wide variety of software to input and retrieve data as required, and to prepare a variety of specific working documents and forms such as spreadsheet, database, word processing, and other similar products. Requirements for GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, one (1) year of experience comparable to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service is required. In addition, candidates at this level must fully demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) in their resume and the selectee will be required to provide a narrative response to each: [1] Knowledge of a wide range of sciences including, but not limited to, electronics (analog and digital), computer science/networking, mechanical engineering design, pneumatics, hydraulics, chemistry, physiology, medical terminology, anatomy, optics, and biology to perform duties of a broad scope and nature on complex and sophisticated patient-related medical systems and sub-systems; [2] Ability to perform advanced testing and troubleshooting of medical devices involving their interfaces and connections to information systems either directly or through the hospitals hardwired and wireless networks; [3] Knowledge of codes and standards relevant to safe operation of medical instrumentation such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI); [4] Skill in the use of all types of test and calibration equipment such as digital multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, digital oscilloscopes, pulse generators, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers in performing troubleshooting/repair and preventive maintenance activities; [5] Ability to configure and maintain medical servers and desktop computers; and [6] Knowledge of contracting regulations, requirements, and specific contract specifications including performance-based contracts. References: VA Handbook 5005/95, Part II, Appendix G49, Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Qualification Standard GS-1601 at: http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. - Benefits - How To Apply - All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/26/2018 to receive consideration. - To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. - Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.